FOODS YOU COULDN'T "DIET" WITHOUT

i hesitate to even call what we're doing a diet because we are all striving for that new way of life and new way of eating to become a permanent change we make. The word diet has come to mean a short term fix type of thing but anyway, that said...
I thought it might be fun to share with each other the foods we just couldn't diet without. Like I know, I eat lettuce and chicken almost every day but if someone said you can no longer have them on your new way of eating I would care less. Had enough of them already! But here are the foods I so enjoy and could not do without so thank goodness I can still eat them.

I would love to know what everyone else enjoys eating. Maybe even get some new ideas. Also, if you could just mentioned what type of plan you follow. For example I do a plan that of low carb, low saturated fat, high protein.

My plan is low GI, lots of fruit and veggies, good carbs, careful with the fat, with an eye on the calories, keeping to around 1500 per day. I do quite a lot of exercise at the moment, swimming 5 days a week and gym 6, and a bit of walking in between.

For me it's high-fiber cereal, blueberries, honey whole wheat pretzels, and black beans. I could eat just that all day and not feel like I was missing anything. Hmmm, looking at my list, it's a lot of carbohydrates. I love carbs! But I do mix them with liberallly with protein and veggies and limit make sure I don't get carried away.

I'm not overly struck on any of the LC and FF dressings I've tried, so I was pleased to discover Salad Sensations. They really pep up boring lettuce leaves and naked coleslaw. I'm counting kcals (1500-1600 per day), and these all come in between 40 and 50 per tablespoon. I like them all, but my favourite has to be the tomato & basil sliced almonds. They also go great in a sandwich with chicken and provide a nice contrasting texture.

Whole wheat couscous is also a biggie for me. I call it The Ultimate Fast Food because it takes minutes to prepare and can be so easily customised to taste different every time.

And then there's Del Monte frozen fruit and yogurt bars. FF and LF respectively, they come in at 50 kcals a pop. Smashing on those occasions I feel like something sweet.

Onions, mushrooms, salsa, and Pam (or equivalent) spray.
Also, strangely enough, these days I'd feel lost without fat-free yogurt! I always hated it before; now I can't go a day without it. Yoplait light is smoother than other brands I've tried. I especially like the blackberry.

__________________Started this journey Aug 2010
Every step I take makes me more healthy and more happy!
Sea

Oh, and I just discovered another one.. Howie, I think it was you that mentioned celery with low-fat cream cheese before?! I'm munching on it right now for the first time and its really satisfying! Thanks for the great tip!

Tilapia is a wonderful firm white fish -- it has a mild, almost sweet flavor and easily adapts to the flavors that you cook it with. It's got virtually no fat, and it's very high in protein!

I'd like to say also that I usually eat salmon at least once a week (unless we've paid too many bills at once! ) It's awesome for healthy fish oils, Omega 3 and I just plain love it -- but it's not an every day "lifesaver."

You really should see if you can find the tilapia -- it's SO low calorie and high protein, it buys you a good bit of flexibility with the rest of your day, you know?

Well, then I'm thinking is just about your best friend! Another quick option if you've got to just get in some protein easily is protein powder. I get very good quality powder from a bodybuilding site, and I'm very happy with it.